The Gulf Research Program’s Science Policy Fellowship programhelps scientists hone their skills by putting them to practice for the benefit of Gulf Coast communities and ecosystems. Fellows gain first-hand experience at the interface of science and policy as they spend one year on the staff of federal, state, local, or non-governmental environmental, natural resource, oil and gas, or public health agency in the Gulf of Mexico region. With the guidance of a mentor, fellows delve into activities like policy development, evaluation, restoration planning, grants management, and stakeholder outreach and learn what it takes to make scientific information not just useful but useable. Meanwhile, host offices get a talented technical expert with a fresh perspective and a new network of contacts across the Gulf of Mexico region.

Location: U.S. Gulf of Mexico region: Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, or Texas

Fellowship Benefits

Stipend

Fellows who have completed an MA, MS, or MPH/MSPH degree or who are currently enrolled in a doctoral program will receive an annual stipend of $55,000. Fellows who have completed a PhD, ScD, EngD, MD, DrPH, or DVM will receive an annual stipend of $60,000. Stipends will be paid directly to the fellow in monthly disbursements. The GRP has increased the stipend amounts to account for cost of living and increased health insurance premiums.

Fellows will also receive a $1,000 one-time payment with their September monthly disbursement to offset costs association with relocation. No other relocation costs will be reimbursed.

Professional development

Fellows will receive up to $5,000 in additional support as reimbursement for tuition and/or fees for professional development courses and activities or for professional travel related to their host office duties.

Additional funding

All fellows will attend an orientation in Washington, D.C. Fellows may be required to attend one or more conferences/events during their fellowship term. Travel expenses for these events will be covered by the Gulf Research Program; they are in addition to the fellowship stipend and professional development support.

Term: 12 months, September 1, 2021 – August 31, 2022

Eligibility:

• Be currently enrolled in a doctoral program or hold an eligible degree, including MA/MS, MPH/MSPH, PhD, ScD, EngD, MD, DrPH, and DVM. For applicants not currently enrolled in a doctoral program, eligible degrees must be completed by August 15, 2021, and conferred by December 31, 2021. Applicants currently enrolled in a doctoral program must take a leave of absence for the duration of the fellowship.
• Come from an area of research – including social and behavioral sciences, health sciences and medicine, engineering and physical sciences, earth and life sciences, and interdisciplinary scientific fields – relevant to the charge of the Gulf Research Program to focus on “human health and environmental protection including issues relating to offshore oil drilling and hydrocarbon production and transportation in the Gulf of Mexico and on the United States’ outer continental shelf.”
• Be a U.S. citizen, U.S. national, or lawful permanent resident.
• Not be currently employed by the U.S. federal government. Full-time, paid, permanent federal employees are not eligible for the fellowship.

Applications for 2021 GRP Science Policy Fellowship will be accepted through March 3, 2021.

ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine are private, nonprofit institutions that provide independent, objective analysis and advice to the nation to solve complex problems and inform public policy decisions related to science, technology, and medicine. The Academies operate under an 1863 congressional charter to the National Academy of Sciences, signed by President Lincoln.

Gulf Research Program

The National Academies’ Gulf Research Program is an independent, science-based program founded in 2013 as part of legal settlements with the companies involved in the 2010 Deepwater Horizondisaster. It seeks to enhance offshore energy system safety and protect human health and the environment by catalyzing advances in science, practice, and capacity to generate long-term benefits for the Gulf of Mexico region and the nation. The program has $500 million for use over 30 years to fund grants, fellowships, and other activities in the areas of research and development, education and training, and monitoring and synthesis.